Speaking to TV12, Nani accepted that the club had to take responsibility for the situation after six defeats in the opening eight Serie A matches. He also stressed that the immediate objective remains reaching 40 points before the club considers any more ambitious targets.
“The responsibility is ours, the club’s, and when there are difficult moments it is right to make our presence felt,” Nani said. “I am putting my face to it, the club is present and, obviously, none of us are happy — not the manager, the supporters or the players.
“We have to turn all this into a more positive situation.”
Nani pointed to the performances as well as the results, arguing that Udinese have shown signs of improvement in several matches despite their poor run. He acknowledged that the defeat against Lecce was particularly disappointing, while believing the team had competed well against Lazio and Cagliari before beating Monza away from home.
He also recalled a previous Udinese season in which the club suffered 11 consecutive defeats before changing managers, although he made clear that the club does not want to repeat that experience.
“Changing the manager does not necessarily bring results; it is an extreme choice,” Nani said. “Against Milan, the team still fought and pressed, then we conceded from a free-kick, and these are the aspects we have to work on.”
The number of muscular injuries has also raised questions, and Nani said the club investigates whenever a pattern emerges. He identified the balance between training too little and too much as one of the areas that requires attention.
“When there are so many injuries, especially muscular ones, you ask yourself questions,” he said. “Training performance leads into the match, and training too little or too much can lead to injuries.
“Beyond traumatic injuries, muscular injuries make you examine things. Whenever this happens, while recognising that it happens at every club, we carry out internal investigations to understand what went wrong.”
Nani also explained why Udinese did not bring in another striker after Adam Buksa’s departure. Signing a free agent at this stage, he argued, would not necessarily solve the problem because a player who had not played since May could require two months to regain match fitness.
That would leave the club approaching January, when better options might become available. Udinese had originally planned their squad around a 3-4-2-1 system, with Keinan Davis leading the line and other players providing alternatives.
Nani said the club had collectively prioritised depth in the supporting attacking positions, naming Vakoun Bayo and Nicolò Zaniolo as further options through the middle. Injuries to Davis and Zaniolo subsequently left the squad short.
A January reunion with Lorenzo Lucca, now at Napoli, was another possibility raised with Nani. He was dismissive of the suggestion, citing both the transfer cost and the player’s wages.
“Napoli paid a good price for a player of that kind and he earns figures that are unthinkable for Udinese,” Nani said. “It would be strange if he returned on loan with his wages paid. I tend to rule it out.”
Nani’s message to supporters was that Udinese must first halt their slide and secure the points needed for their primary objective. He believes the squad still has reasons for optimism, but said the team must respond quickly to the criticism and get their season back on track.